Rabbit feeder



April 29, 1947 R. A. GRINDSTAFF 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1945 INVENTOR wwza/ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RABBIT FEEDER Bay A. Grindstaif, Spokane, Wash.

Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,251

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for supplying feed and water to rabbits and it is one object of the invention to provide a device of this character in which containers for feed and water are mounted upon a base in such manner that while they will be held upright upon the base and may be easily detached from the base and each other for thorough cleaning when necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeding and watering device :having containers so formed that while rabbits may readily have access to them they will be prevented from hopping into the containers and scattering or soiling feed and water in the containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeding and watering device wherein the openings through which rabbits have access to the containers are "so located that a rabbit may obtain food and water while standing in one position.

Another object of the invention is to provide containers which are formed of sheet metal and so formed that they will be simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved feeding and watering device.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3a is an enlarged view of the lower portion of Figure 3.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing containers of a modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

This improved feeding and watering device has a base I which is preferably formed of sheet metal but may be formed of any suitable material.

Containers 2 and 3 rest upon the base and each has its bottom 4 connected with its annular wall by a depending marginal joint 5 which holds the bottom of the contained space upwardly from the base and defines a recess in which is located a hook 6. The hook is formed of sheet metal and when the containers are set upon the base and shifted transversely in a direction to move the free ends of bills of the hooks under the straps 6 the containers will be anchored to the base. While the hooks firmly hold the containers to the base they may be released from the straps and lifted off the base when thorough cleaning of the containers is necessary. Each container is cut from its upper end to form a tongue which is bent outwardly to provide a wing 8 extending forwardly from the 'front edge of an opening 9 in the inner side portion of the container and since the openings are in confronting inner side portions of the containers a rabbit standing in front of the feeder may thrust its head inwardly between the wings 8 and either take feed from one container or drink water from the other container. The wings serve to prevent more than one rabbit from feeding or drinking at a time and since the containers project upwardly quite a distance above the lower :edges of the openings 5 rabbits can not hop into the containers and scatter or foul feed and water. The container 3 is provided at the lower edge of its opening 9 witha hook in which engagesover the loweredge of the opening of container 2 and serves to hold the containers together and prevent them from tilting out of an upright position.

In Figures :4 and :5 there :has been shown containers of :a modified construction. These containers H are similar in shape to the containers 2 and 3 but their bottoms 12 are flush with the lower ends of their walls. Each container H has an upper portion it formed separate from its lower portion and these upper portions are hel to the lower portions by tongues I4 cut from the sheet metal from which the upper sections are formed and bent downwardly so that they overlap the inner surfaces of the lower portions of the walls of the containers and hold the upper sections in place. A tongue l5 carried by the lower section of one container is bent to engage over the upper edge of the other container and hold the containers in side by side engagement with each other.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a base, containers upon said base each having a bottom and walls extending upwardly therefrom and cut from their upper ends to form tongues bent outwardly to provide openings in confronting side portions of the upper portions of the containers and wings projecting forwardly from the forward side edges of the openings, a clip carried by one container at the lower end of its side opening and engaged over the upper edge of the side opening of the other container and holding the containers in close contacting engagement with each other, straps carried by said base under said containers, hooks carried by the bottoms of said containers and engaging under the straps transversely thereof to releasably hold the containers to said base, marginal edges of the bot- 3 toms and lower ends of the walls being connected by joints extending downwardly and forming flanges defining recesses in which the hooks and the straps are located.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base, straps carried by said base, containers resting upon said base over said straps and each having a bottom and upstanding walls about the margin of its bottom, hooks carried by the bottoms of said containers and engaged under said straps to removably hold the containers upon said base, said containers having confronting side portions of their walls cut to form openings, wings projecting forwardly from front side edges of the openings, and a strip carried by one container and engaged over the lower edge of the side opening of the other container to hold the containers together.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base, and containers resting upon said base in side by side relation to each other, said containers each having a bottom and walls extending upwardly from the bottom, the walls being cut from the upper ends of the containers to provide confronting side portions of the containers with tongues bent forwardly to define side openings and wings projecting forwardly from front side edges of the openings, and a clip carried by the inner side portion of the wall of one container and engaged over the lower edge of the side opening of the other container and holding the containers together.

4. A device of the character described comprising containers in side by side relation to each other and each having a bottom and upstanding walls, confronting side portions of walls of the containers being formed with side openings and provided with wings projecting forwardly from front side edges of the openings, and a clip carried by the inner side portion of the wall of one container and engaged over the lower edge of the side opening of the other container and holding the containers together.

5. A device of the character described comprising containers in side by side relation to each other and each having a bottom and upstanding walls, confronting side portions of walls of the containers being formed with side openings, wings projecting forwardly from front side edges of said openings, and means for releasably holding said containers together.

6. A device of the character described comprising containers in side by side relation to each other and each having a bottom and upstanding walls, upper portions of the walls being separate from lower portions thereof and held upon the lower portions by clips extending downwardly from the said upper portions in overlapping engagement with inner surfaces of lower portions of the walls, and the said upper portions of said walls having front and rear ends free from each other and their front end portions bent to form wings projecting forwardly from the containers.

'7. A device of the character described comprising containers disposed in side by side relation to each other and having upper and lower wall portions, the upper wall portions having inner side portions formed with confronting openings and forwardly projecting wings extending from the side openings in spaced relation to each other and between which access may be had to the containers through the openings.

RAY A. GRINDSTAFFY REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith et al Nov. 5, 1929 Doggett Dec. 29, 1903 Number 

